Miraculous Drabbles
by bitternessbitesback
Summary: To be honest I've only seen, like, two episodes of season three, but that's not gonna stop me from writing about my current favorite superheroine! Hope you like the stories, some of which are connected and some that aren't.
1. Kind Hearted

"Kagami?" Marinette questioned as she looked curiously at the fencer sitting alone in the park.

"Marinette? What are you doing here?" Her tone was cold and very nearly made the super-powered teen want to leave, but she stood her ground.

"I could be asking you the same thing, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, now why don't you run along and do whatever it is that you do."

"Are you sure you're alright? You looked a little down."

"Why do you even care?"

"Because even though we got off to a rough start, you're still a person with feelings of your own, and if possible I'd like to help you out in any way I can. If that's okay with you?"

Kagami was speechless, she didn't understand why a practical stranger would want to help her.

"Thanks, but no thanks Marinette. I don't need your pity."

"Pity and kindness are two different things. I would never pity you."

"Is that so?"

"Of course, Kagami," Marinette finally sat down on the bench and paced a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder, "Everybody needs someone to talk to no matter how big or small the problem, someone who's there for them in their time of need. Especially someone as strong as you."

"Alright, you've made your point," Kagami rolled her eyes at the bubbly girl before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I don't know how much you've heard about me, but I come from a very strict family and a prestigious line of fencers. There is no such thing as a 'second chance' in my family and I have lived by that rule my entire life. I know you didn't side with Adrien winning on purpose, even I wasn't sure who won for a second there, but still the pressure of having to be perfect just got to me, you know?"

Kagami looked up once more at the pink clad girl who simply nodded back at her, following her every word, not a hint of pity in her eyes. So she continued once more, "It felt like I failed my mother, which of course Hawkmoth had to go and take advantage of. Anyway, I've never failed before and I know I told you that I never hesitate, but when I did fail I hesitated to tell my mother because I don't want her to be disappointed in me. She does a lot to make sure I live a good life and it just hurts when I can't live up to that reputation. "

All of the sudden Marinette was gripping her in a tight hug, causing Kagami to stop talking, before hugging the girl back. This was what she needed, Marinette was right. The fencer felt the tension leave her shoulders as she relaxed even more into the hug.

"Failure is a good thing too, you know?" Marinette told her, not releasing her hold on the other girl, "When you fail at something it provides you with a learning opportunity. People learn from their mistakes, and if you never fail then you'll never grow as a person. Yeah you failed, but you also got back up and now you're stronger for it."

Though she didn't want to, the fencer couldn't help the tears that escaped her eyes as she squeezed Marinette tighter. The girl continued on as she also tightened her hold.

"I think you should talk to your mom, no matter how scary it might be. Let her hear your side of things, chances are she'll get what you're going through and it might even help your relationship with her. You said you came from a strict family, so maybe you can make her remember a time when she felt inadequate compared to the standards your family holds. She might also decide it's time for a change and take some of the pressure off of you. Yes, it's good to push yourself to be the best you can be, but when you fall short, just make sure to get right back up. If you tell her that, then maybe she'll understand too."

Slowly Kagami collected herself, pulled out of Marinette's soothing embrace, wiped her eyes, and took a deep breath so as to make her breathing more stable.

"Thank you." Her voice still sounded cold, but Marinette figured that's just how the girl is.

"You're welcome," Marinette said excitedly while grabbing the others hands and forcing her to stand, "Anytime you need someone to talk about things with, I'll be here. But for now let's go get some treats at my family's bakery!"

"Oh, no I really shouldn't-"

"Oh, yeah you really should. Come on, a treat once in a while won't hurt!"

Kagami rolled her eyes, but let herself be dragged away by the cheerful girl anyway, a small smile taking place on her face.


	2. Before The Bug

From a young age Marinette has always known what she wanted to be, it all started when she saw a fashion runway show on TV and ever since she's been in love. The birthday she got her first sewing machine of her own she was overjoyed as tears ran down her face while she squeezed the life out of her parents. Coloring books filled with creative takes on the peoples clothes turned into sketchbooks for her countless ideas. She started out small, making clothes for her dolls and stuffed animals. Then she got more daring as she started making shirts for herself, then pants, and even hats!

The more she made, the more she needed to get out of her comfort zone. So she recruited her mom to try on some clothes here and there. Then after she got used to making clothes for her maman, she turned to her papa. He provided the challenge Marinette sought, as a tall muscular man he was perfect! He often complained how it was hard to shop for clothes, so why not?

Of course, now that she was fifteen she didn't really need his help anymore, but she always appreciated it. Though she primarily makes clothes for herself now, she had been struck by inspiration and she could not ignore it any longer. The design she had in mind was better suited for a man, valentine's day was coming up and Marinette as determined to have them knock the socks off of each other's feet. The two were crazy busy preparing treats of all kinds as always and of course wouldn't go on their date till later that night, but she still wanted to help and this was one of the best ways she new how. Besides she's already finished her maman's dress, all she needed now was her papa.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," The baker told his daughter, "I know how expensive those fabrics are to get and you've been saving them up for something special for a long time."

"Of course I want to do this," She reassured him with a megawatt smile on her face, "And this is something special Papa."

His heart swelled with pride as he nodded at his daughter to continue with her measuring. Regardless of if she had his sizes by now, Marinette always wanted to double check just in case. People's bodies change all the time and with all the heavy lifting her papa does, one could never be too safe. Tom understood this and stood still while his daughter fluttered about around him. Her eyes always lit up so much whenever she designed something, fire dancing throughout the bluebells as she muttered to herself.

"Hmm, maybe this instead?" Tom briefly caught her say as she frequently went back and forth from her sketchbook, pinning a couple of fabrics to him.

Marinette had always had a bit of a habit of talking to herself and he understood that it helped her work out her ideas. Sometimes problems couldn't be fixed in your head alone and you needed to get the thoughts out there. His daughter got that from her maman, Sabine. When Tom first heard the woman talk aloud to herself, he thought she was asking him, and answered her. Of course this caused the shorter woman to become a little embarrassed, but when she explained herself he understood. So when Marinette picked up on the habit he often joked it was because of Sabine's influence, though she claims she doesn't know what he's talking about.

A warm smile grew bigger on his face as he watched his little girl bring her creation to life right before his very eyes. He didn't really need to be here anymore since she got the measurements and outline of her project ready, but he loved watching her work. The look of concentration on her face was adorable as her eyebrows knitted together when she got stuck with something or how sometimes her tongue would peak out from the corner of her mouth. Besides, his baby girl was growing up so fast that sometimes he just couldn't help but watch her and hope the moment would last. She really was his pride and joy and he couldn't ask for a better daughter if he tried. His sweet Marinette who always helped out in the bakery without being asked, who let him win at the video games they play sometimes, and who went out of her way to make her parents happy every Valentine's Day and whenever she could.

Tom didn't know how Sabine and him got so lucky. His heart swelled for the young teen and hoped she would finally find some friends this year. With a bittersweet feeling, the man gave the hard working girl one last smile before climbing down the stairs and out of her bedroom. She would be fine, he just knew it.


	3. Tea Party

Marinette was a girly girl, through and through. Her favorite color is pink, she loves dressing up, and most of all she loves throwing tea parties. She always gathered up her stuffed animals and set them around the table, handing them plates with make believe cakes and teacups filled with imaginary tea.

"One sugar or two Mr. Snuffles?" She would ask in her most professional voice she heard adults use.

"Oh yes! Of course, silly me." The young girl shook her head at her mistake, how could she forget that Mr. Snuffles didn't like sugar?

Marinette poured the tea out for all of her other stuffed animals and talked nonsense with them for the longest time. She could always rely on them to not get bored of her stories, the plays she put on for them, or of her dressing them in the craziest things. She could play pretend with them for hours and they would still entertain her. The kids at Primaire weren't as patient with the black haired girl sometimes. Though she never let that bother her because she would always have her stuffed animals.

She told them all about her day and 'gossiped' with them. The young girl was a fan of that new word even if she didn't really know what it meant. Soon she was laughing her butt off because of something Mr. Snuffles said, he always had the most funny stories!

"Marinette?" A voice called from downstairs.

"Yes Maman?"

"Dinner's ready, I hope you haven't spoiled your appetite with all of those tea cakes."

"Of course not Maman, I'll be right down!"

Marinette quickly cleaned up the tea set and placed her stuffed animals in their rightful places before excusing herself from the party, she had important business to attend to after all.


	4. Affection

"Oh dear! You're warming up!" Sabine told her bedridden daughter.

"I'm fine Maman," Marinette insisted, "I just need a shower and I'll feel better."

"No, no, you're staying in bed today." The woman was having none of it, her daughter looked the complete opposite of fine and there was no way she was making her go to school.

"But-"

"No buts, just rest some more while I get you some soup and medicine okay?"

"Okay Maman."

Satisfied, the woman climbed down from the bed. Then she opened the curtains and window to let fresh air and light in the room. Then she headed downstairs, keeping the trapdoor open just in case Marinette called for her. Sabine originally went in to check on the poor girl because she was sleeping in as usual and she didn't want her to be late again. As she made soup for her daughter, the woman couldn't help but wonder why the girl seemed to be more stressed out lately. As far as she knew, nothing changed in Marinette's day to day life other than a nasty classmate who she'd been ranting about.

Maybe that classmate is why her daughter has been so tired, making her body weak, and causing this bout of sickness. The woman felt a wave of anger flash through her before calming down, she didn't know that the classmate was the problem for sure, but still... she was worried about her daughter. She's already suffered for four years because of Chloe and she really didn't want to see her daughter hurt anymore by these bullies.

"Is everything okay, honey?" A worried voice broke through her thoughts as Sabine turned her head to see her husband.

"Yeah... Marinette's sick so I'm making her some soup."

"Really? She never gets sick."

"I know."

"Are you worried about something?"

"I just hope everything is going okay at school, I don't want her to go back into her shell like before."

"I don't want that either honey."

Tom hugged the woman from behind, his presences a comfort as the tension left her shoulders.

"I'm sure whatever it is, she'll pull through it. Marinette's a lot stronger than we think sometimes."

"You're right, she's stubborn so I know she'll tough it out."

"Of course we will," He kissed the top of her head before continuing. "Are you going to stay up here with Marinette today?"

"Not for long, I can't leave you alone in the bakery all day," Sabine sighed, "Though I will come up and check in on her every now and then."

"Alright honey, see you downstairs."

They shared a quick kiss before parting ways. Marinette's soup was done and now Sabine needed to gather the medicine for the girl. She also grabbed a water and placed it on a tray along with the soup and medicine.

"Achoo!" A quiet sneeze rang out from behind the woman.

"Marinette!" Sabine exclaimed, rushing over to her daughter who was currently using the wall for support. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Wanted to make it easier for you to bring me the soup," The girl sniffled, " 'N not climb all those stairs."

Her heart was warmed and swelled with love for her ever considerate daughter. Even as she was mostly out of it and couldn't talk properly she still wanted to help in whatever way she could.

"Thank you sweetheart, let's get you to the couch."

"Mkay."

Slowly they both made it to the couch where Sabine helped her daughter lay down, propping some pillows to help her sit up a bit. Then she carefully brought over the tray for Marinette and set it on the coffee table. Somehow her daughter let her spoon feed her, though the girl took the medicine on her own. Eventually she finished her soup and the woman turned on the TV for her daughter.

"Call me if you need anything, I'll be right down stairs." Sabine told her whilst tucking the blanket around the girl more securely and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I will, thank you Maman."

"Anytime dear."

"I love you!"

"I love you too."

Sabine had a warm smile on her face and ignored the worrying thoughts as she left her daughter's side to go downstairs. Her baby was growing up so quickly before her very eyes, but it was nice to know she still needed help from her mother sometimes.


	5. Gardening Heals The Soul

When Marinette invited him over for some afternoon fun, this is not what he had in mind. Hesitantly the blond pulled on the gloves she handed him and watched as she scooped out some dirt and placed it into a colorful pot. She soon noticed he was still standing in one spot and shook her head at him before grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards her. Félix had never gardened in his life in case you couldn't tell. The girl beside him showing him what to do naturally had to rectify this, insisting that planting things was "therapeutic". He honestly had no clue as to why it would be considering you got dirty because of it and there was a slim chance the thing you planted would actually grow. There was a reason the Agreste's hired gardeners, in the blonds mind this was a pretty much useless skill for him to have.

"Oh don't tell me the great multi-talented Félix Agreste isn't good at something." Marinette joked as he watched her skeptically.

"As if, I just don't think it's worth my time. The thing probably won't even grow." He retorted offhandedly as if he didn't actually care.

"Right," There was a playful tone of sarcasm in her voice, "I didn't know you were a profit on top of everything else Fé."

"Don't be absurd Dupain-Cheng, I know where my talents lie and they're not here."

She rolled her bluebell eyes at his absurdity. "Don't knock it till you try it Agreste."

"Alright, alright. Show me the error of my ways." He put up his hands in way of conceding.

"As you wish." She bowed mockingly while shooting him a playful smile.

Gardening wasn't that hard if Félix was being honest, pretty straight forward. Marinette gave him the task of filling the pots with dirt before she put the seed or plant in and then has him put dirt over it. The task was fairly monotonous and he had a feeling he would get bored of it if not for the exuberant girl with him.

"I've always loved gardening," She told him with a content smile on her face, "It seems to chase my troubles away, help me work through my thoughts."

The blond didn't know how to reply so he didn't. When the noirette looked back at him though he shot her a small smile, which she gladly returned.

"It just clears the mind, it's so peaceful to dig through the dirt, plus you end up growing things that bring life into an area."

The girl had a soft look in her bluebell eyes and Félix could tell she really loved gardening as much as she loved designing and baking. Marinette was so creative and it was no wonder she was able to practically bring things to life with everything she did. It's clear to him with the abundance of plants in her room and on her balcony that she cared for them as deeply as she would a living person or animal. She had so much love in her heart it was honestly no wonder people seemed to gravitate towards the optimistic girl.

"Amazing." He unintentionally whispered underneath his breath, and she raised her shocked blue eyes to meet his pale green ones.

"It is amazing!" She readily agreed, "I'm so glad you get it now Fé!"

"Yeah..."

No, he still doesn't understand the hype around gardening, but it appeared to make her happy so he let go of his own reservations. She was the one who didn't get it though, he wasn't calling gardening amazing. He was calling her amazing because she was. This animated girl who seemed so full of energy she couldn't keep still for even a second had opened his eyes. She was so full of life and she wanted to share it with him in a way she knew how, gardening. She thought that him just having one plant in his room would make it seem happier, and now he was inclined to believe her.

Félix supposed he would just have to get used to the fact that perhaps he would find himself being wrong when it came to things with Marinette, because she always seemed to be right about them. He hadn't expected gardening to turn out to be fun, but it was with her. He didn't think he would start helping out his gardener tend to the plants now, but he would, maybe, perhaps, at least take care of this one. Not because she wanted him to though! This was his own decision to put this plant in his room, not at all influenced by her in any way. Nope.

"Thanks for coming over Félix! I really enjoyed gardening with you!" Marinette told him with a megawatt smile on her face as he was leaving.

"You're welcome," He replied, shifting awkwardly on his feet with the potted plant in his arms. "Thank you for forcing this on me, I enjoyed it more than I thought."

"Good! You know, gardening heals the soul Fé, you should do it more often."

He scoffed at the notion as she shot him another playful smile, "Perhaps, see you later Marinette."

"Good bye."

The blond got into the car and watched the girl wave at him as he drove off. He couldn't help but think maybe the bubbly girl was changing him little by little. He didn't know if it was for better or for worse yet, though he could probably take a guess. Père was not going to be happy with this development, he could tell. Oh well, he'll think about that when the time comes, for now he'll just concern himself with this new plant.


	6. Creation

As a fashion designer and the daughter of bakers , Marinette Dupain-Cheng was used to creating things. Usually those things weren't living but what could you do? Apparently freak out was not the correct answer.

"Marinette it's fine." Tikki attempted to calm the girl.

It was not fine. She just wanted to make a little Vipereon plush to go with her collection, not whatever this was. When she was told that there would be some surprises that came with being ladybug, she had anticipated something more along the lines of being luckier, not a creator. The blue eyed girl only ever knew of one way to make a person before this and was not expecting that day to come soon. Well, except he wasn't really a person was he? Just a doll that was able to move. He couldn't even talk, and that was probably for the best or else she'd truly faint.

Though it hurt to look at him, he looked so _sad_. She couldn't help it as she reached out a hand to comfort the plush, his head falling contentedly into her hand. He really wasn't all that scary, the teen supposed. He was actually pretty adorable and Marinette couldn't stop the smile from growing on her face.

This tiny being wasn't something to be afraid of. He was hers, a being she put all her love into while making him. Putting all the feelings she held for the person who inspired the doll into him. Gently picking up the Vipereon doll, she held him close to her in a hug. She felt so silly for how she acted mere moments ago, for this thing she created made her feel nothing but love and joy now.

She could see Tikki watching her with a fond smile and idly wondered if the kwami ever created things. Which actually cause the teen to wonder if she could create things other than life. Could she make a beach ball manifest from thin air like she could with lucky charm? With a thoughtful look on her face, she placed Vipereon's mini me back onto her desk, her eyebrows knitting together in concentration while she stuck her hands out.

Marinette closed her eyes and imagined what the beach ball looked like, how it felt, how light it was. She could see it becoming clearer in her minds eye, feel a strange yet familiar surge of power welling up within her. Overall the feeling was warm which inspired her to continue on. Then before she knew it, she could really feel it, and as she opened her eyes she could see it floating just above her hands before dropping into them.

"Oh my gosh Tikki!" Her smile was infectious as the small creature also smiled back at the girl, "I did it! I really did it!"

"You did! I'm so proud of you Marinette!"

It was as the dark haired girl was squealing with delight that she realized just how good it was for her parents to be out while she discovered this new ability. Life was certainly beginning to get more interesting around the Dupain-Cheng household after all.


	7. Untold Side Effects

A scream threatened to break through as Marinette struggled to come to terms with her reflection. Thin, long, black antennae were protruding out from her forehead. The teen tentatively touched one of them before immediately retracting her hand back, a wave of nausea ran through her as she collapsed to her knees onto the cold tile. Her blue eyes were empty as she simply stared at her hands on the floor, how could this have happened? Was it because of the miraculous? Was this the price she had to pay?

"Marinette?" She faintly heard her mother call, "Are you okay?"

With a shaky breath, the girl in question attempted to calm down, "Yes Mamman, I just dropped something."

"Okay sweetie."

With that the noirette heard the trapdoor close and she let out a near silent sigh. Surely this was just a dream and she'd wake up soon, no antennae in sight. Somehow managing to steal her nerves, Marinette grasped the counter attached to her sink and dragged herself up off the floor. Slowly she was able to move her blue orbs to the sight of her reflection and she nearly fell back down. This was really happening wasn't it? Of course this had to happen when Tikki was away didn't it? The kwami would be able to help her understand. Perhaps she should speak to Fu instead? Though the small god refused to tell Marinette where she was going, she had assured the teen everything would be fine while she was gone. Now she wasn't so sure.

Was this _thing_ the reason Tikki left? Although the antennae would logically be able to be covered by a hat, if she produced anymore ladybug-like features she wasn't sure what she'd be able to do. Did Chat Noir also have this problem? Was he growing ears? Or even a tail? Very faintly in her memory, the black haired girl was able to recall one of the first conversations she had with the kwami.

_"The more you use the miraculous, the more side effects that come with it will show up." Tikki informed the human girl._

_"Side effects?" She exclaimed worriedly, "Like what?"_

_"Oh you know, just little things like not liking the smells of certain things like vinegar and lemons." _

_Though the floating creature seemed pretty flippant about the whole situation, Marinette couldn't help but worry, "And any... big things?"_

_"Do you consider eating bugs a weird thing?"_

_"What?!"_

_"It's okay Marinette, so please calm down," The god allowed her a moment to breathe before continuing, "Besides, it's only once in a while and people don't even notice when it happens."_

_"Right, okay... okay. Anything else?"_

_"Oh yeah, winters are particularly rough for holders of the Ladybug Miraculous, but as long as you keep warm it'll be fine."_

_"Alright, I can handle that."_

_"Just remember Marinette," Tikki warned with a grave tone and far off look in her eyes, "Be sure to never abuse the powers of the miraculous, or it will retaliate in a unpredictable manner. And only ever use them when absolutely necessary."_

_"Tikki?" The girls questioning and concerned tone brought the kwami back to the present._

_"It's nothing, I was just hoping that this fight with Papillon doesn't last for too long, for your sake."_

_"Don't worry Tikki, I'll defeat him for sure!" _

It was only now that the pink clad girl realized that she'd misunderstood that conversation a year ago. The Ladybug Miraculous wasn't meant to be used so often for so long, it was more of a temporary solution. Were the antennae just the beginning of the side effects Tikki spoke of? Was this why she suddenly had to mysteriously leave?

"Marinette!" Her mother called from downstairs, "You're going to be late if you don't hurry!"

"Coming!" She called back, but Marinette had no intentions of going to school today.

Hats aren't allowed at school and her parents were so clingy they'd immediately want to dot on her if she claimed to be sick. Without another glance at the mirror, she quickly got ready as a resolve formed in her head. Unfortunately the teen didn't really have a hat that worked with her concerning situation, so she decided a bandanna would do instead. Once done she ran downstairs and out the door, bidding her parents goodbye, and making sure they saw her go in the direction of the school before they lost sight of her and she turned in a different direction. It wouldn't do to have this continue for much longer.

Idly on her way to Master Fu's house she wondered what it was like to have one of the other miraculouses, if they also caused the holder to transform into something else with continued use of it it was just the Ladybug? Surely the Cat also transforms? She wondered if Chat woke up with whiskers or something else today like she did. She hoped he was okay, that he was handling it a little better than she was.

Finally she made it to Fu's house, but as she raised a hand to knock her body began to convulse. Pain filled her senses as she curled into herself and heard someone screaming in a terrifying manner before she realized it was her. She was screaming right now. Although she knew this, she couldn't stop, the pain was unbearable, she'd never felt anything on this level before. It felt like her skin was being ripped apart, tearing even more as she curled into herself. Her back felt wet and a little sticky, which confused her, but the searing and burning sensation outweighed her curiosity. Distantly she thought she heard someone calling her name, but she just kept screaming until she couldn't hear anymore. The world going silent as she passed out.

* * *

When Marinette finally came to, she was inside Fu's house, laying sideways on one of his mats. The pain that overwhelmed her earlier now felt dull, and she assumed she was knocked out for a long while considering how dark it looked outside. Were her parents worried about her? Carefully the girl sat up and became aware of the bandages around her torso, causing fear to flow through her body. She briefly recalled the gross feeling on her back before she raced to where she knew his bathroom was, unsure of whether she wanted to know the answer or not.

Despite her reservations, she managed to find the courage to look at herself in the mirror. Antennae were one thing, she could handle it, but if what was under these bandages was what she thought it was, she didn't know what she would do. With a deep breath, Marinette carefully undid the bindings of the gauze, watching as they fell to the ground. After about a minute, she found it within herself to look at the reflection, and felt that wave of nausea from earlier come back at full force as she gripped the sink for support. She had wings! Actual, working, translucent wings!

Of course, of course she also grew wings! This day was quickly becoming a contender for worst day ever. She was alarmed and a little excited that they seemed to flick when she thought about it. Somewhere in her was a sense of bravery as she attempted to fly. It took a second before the wings actually started going faster and she floated up a little off the ground. This was great! She could fly! Now she didn't have to rely on her yo-yo to go everywhere! Then reality hit, she didn't have these wings as Ladybug. She had them as Marinette, and Marinette was not supposed to have wings!

Her thoughts quickly spiraled downwards as she wondered what people would think of her. Would they think she was an akuma? Would they think her a freak and wish to stop hanging around her? What about her parents? Would they still love her, or would they be afraid of her? Tears rolled down her face as she desperately wished for these side effects to be temporary, a weird form of puberty. Though what if it wasn't? She'd never be able to show her face in public as Marinette ever again. Especially since none of the other side effects didn't seem to be going away.

She was beginning to crave bugs more and more, and each time it got cold or snowed was worse for her than the last time. Would she eventually turn into a full bug creature, just like the man in Metamorphoses? Would she forget being human all together? Or maybe she was just being too pessimistic, and she just needed to let the transformation run it's course. It would be ideal if it turned out like that one episode of Teen Titans and she'd quickly turn back to normal, but as she remembered the far away look in the kwami's eyes, she was becoming less confident of that possibility. If only Tikki were here.

"Marinette?" Fu called through the bathroom door, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," She reassured, "Just... a little surprised is all."

"Would you like a shirt to cover up with instead of the bandages, I was able to find one that would be comfortable for you concerning your current... predicament."

"Yes please, thank you."

The teen hid behind the door as she stuck her hand out of the opening, grabbing hold of the top he handed her, before once more shutting the door. This whole situation was a little embarrassing and more than a little frightening, but she couldn't let it get the better of her. As she pulled on the backless top, Marinette wondered if this was going to be what it was like for the rest of her life, having to have backless shirts for her wings, having to hide away her antennae. Would the side effects leave as soon as she gave back the jewelry, or would they continue due to her wearing said jewelry for so long? If they left would it be immediate or something more along the lines of a gradual process? Her vision turned blurry at these thoughts, but she couldn't afford to wallow in her misery, especially with Papillon still at large.

"Marinette?" Fu sounded worried.

"Is it okay if I stay in here for a little bit?"

"Yes, of course, take as much time as you need."

"Thank you."

As she sat on the bathroom floor, reflecting upon everything that happened in her life up to now, she couldn't help but notice the window sitting unnoticed by the toilet. Curtains shut tightly, hiding the world from the secrets that lay inside. It was that innocent window that caused the noirette to stand once more and take in her new appearance in the mirror. Once more her thoughts filled with nothing but flying until she no longer felt the ground beneath her feet. She practiced flying in circles as she made up her resolve.

Opening the window as quietly as possible, the young woman took off into the night sky, unnoticed by all except a lone figure in the darkness, blending into his surrounding environment with nothing but his bright green eyes to give him away. Now he supposed he wasn't the best partner to have, but he knew he had to be better starting now. Starting with consoling his longtime crush and letting her know she wasn't alone in this shocking turn of events. This wasn't how he wanted to find out her identity, but they'd just have to talk about that later, after whatever was going on with them was long gone.


	8. Dear Diary

_Dear Diary,_

_It's sure been a while, huh? A lot has certainly happened since I last wrote. First things first though, I've decided to give up on Adrien. He's just not really the person I thought he was unfortunately. He's also in love with somebody else, somebody I just can't compete with. Or rather, somebody I don't want to compete with._

_Her name is Kagami and she is absolutely stunning! She's an excellent fencer, incredibly smart, and someone who I want to be my friend. Though she can come off as a bit harsh sometimes, I think that's just the only way she knows how to express herself. Her and Adrien seem to have much more in common anyway, which is why I've decided what I have. Adrien has only ever seen me as a friend, and you know what? That's okay._

_Being a superhero and a teen girl at the same time never really occurred to me before, but I think it's for the best if I wait until Chat Noir and I defeat Hawkmoth before getting involved in a relationship. It's already hard enough coming up with excuses to give to my parents and friends, and I think it just might hurt too much to do that to a significant other. _

_I've even removed the pictures of Adrien from my wall, choosing only to keep the ones with him and our friends up on the wall. I also removed everything he does in a day from my schedule, I don't really need to be keeping tabs on the boy anyway. It's going to take a while to get used to my empty walls again, but it's for the best. _

_I truly believe I am making the best decision by moving on from the blond haired boy who sits in front of me. I just hope Alya doesn't pry too much when I tell her. Oh well, that's a problem for another day. Good bye._

_-Marinette_


	9. Past the Breaking Point

She couldn't do this anymore, it was just getting too much to handle. Everything was going wrong and she couldn't do anything to fix it! Her "friends" weren't speaking to her, content to leave her in the back of the classroom forever. Adrien was the only other person who knew of Lila's true character, but he was content that she was lying to everybody. He believed her lies weren't hurting anybody, but he just couldn't see that they were.

Nino was never going to meet that famous DJ, Alya wasn't going to get that internship, Max's inventions weren't going to be submitted to whatever Science facility Lila was going on about. The popular teen would just get their classmates hopes up and rip the "opportunity" right out from under them. It was a wonder, truly, how people kept falling for the Italian's lies. A simple fact check is all it would take to debunk literally anything Lila has ever said, but _no_, why would _anyone_ want to fact check _Lila_? She was so sweet and interesting and god Marinette can't you just get over it already?

It didn't matter that Lila liked Adrien, so did Kagami and Marinette was nice to her! The whole idea of Marinette being some boy crazy jealous girl was absurd. Sure, she did have a couple of Adrien's pictures in her room, and also mixed his schedule into hers, but she wasn't the jealous type. When and who Adrien decided to date was out of Marinette's control, especially since she can't even work up the nerve to confess to the boy!

Still, it wasn't just Lila ensnaring her friends away, it was also the ever growing tenseness between her and Chat. He refused to take the job seriously and constantly got injured as a result. He was like a spoiled little kid in the way he threw tantrums whenever she rejected him. It was very draining on top of the already dire school situation.

"Marinette, are you sure about this?" Tikki was resting on the black haired girl's shoulder.

"Yes, my mind's made up."

She brought up switching schools or classes or something with her parents, but they brushed her off. Claiming that it was only one more year, she could handle that right? Honestly the one time they decide to actually parent her and not coddle her is the one time she doesn't need it! So Marinette made up her mind, if she was going to stay at that school, she needed to give up on being Ladybug. In this day and age it was too dangerous to let negative emotions to get the best of oneself, and the young girl wasn't sure how much longer she could deal with it all.

If the world was going to turn it's back on her, then she'd turn her back on it. Until everything blew over, Marinette couldn't be Tikki's chosen anymore. Yes, she was extremely optimistic, but she was having too many close calls as of late. She couldn't afford to take the chance of being targeted by Hawkmoth while wielding a miraculous. After all, the girl didn't know what information Hawkmoth was privy to during the akumatization, but she couldn't take any chances.

"I'll miss you," The tiny god told her.

"I'll miss you too." Marinette replied sadly, gently cradling Tikki in her hands in a somewhat embrace.

"Master Fu will be saddened with this news, but he will understand just as I do."

"Tell him I wish him well, and that he should probably go into hiding where I can't find him... Just, just in case."

"I will."

With their goodbyes said and tears flown, Tikki took off with the earrings into the night sky, far away from the bakery. Both kwami and chosen alike knew the consequences of Marinette becoming an akuma, these precautions were unfortunately necessary. Though it was for the best, now Marinette felt truly alone. And she so was very tired.


	10. Kwami Swap

**_Think of this as a part 2 of Past the Breaking Point :)_**

This was not something she was expecting. After having parted ways with Tikki, Marinette didn't really think she'd ever see another kwami again, let alone it being handed to her by Luka. Well, technically Viperion, but he wasn't supposed to know she knew. After everything, Marinette just assumed Juleka filled Luka's head with all the "horrible" things the dark haired girl was doing.

"Re... really?" Marinette asked tentatively, looking at the box warily.

"Of course! I know you'd be perfect for this job." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"What about the new ladybug?"

"He feels the same."

Marinette could only assume Chat Noir took up the role of Ladybug, sacrificing his other persona in the process. Somebody did need to purify things after all, and he already knew the basics of the miraculous, so he picked up being Ladybug quick enough. Though if the girl was being honest with herself, she missed it. She really missed being a hero.

"Okay." She agreed, gently taking the box out of the snake hero's hands.

"Really?" An excited smile grew on his face, so contagious Marinette could feel a smile of her own growing.

"Just this once." She told him playfully.

It'd been a while since she'd actually, genuinely, smiled. It was a little sad thinking about it that way, but it was true. Somehow Luka knew just what to do or say to make her feel better. Even with the little things, he still made her go back to a time when there wasn't a suffocating loneliness surrounding her.

"We'll see." He told her with a knowing smirk whilst she raised up her eyebrow in question at him.

With a shake of her head in amusement, she opened the box, a bright light blinding her for all but a second before a mouse took form.

"Hello Marinette, my name is Mullo," The kwami greeted, "I look forward to working with you today."

"And I you," She greeted in turn, reaching a finger out for the being to shake.

"All you have to say is transform me." He told her as she fastened the necklace on herself, thankfully the snake hero didn't seem to notice the knowing look in Mullo and Marinette's eyes.

"Aright, Mullo. Transform me!"

The mouse god was sucked into the jewelry and a white light covered her as the miraculous started working it's magic. Gosh, she couldn't believe how much she'd missed this! The light was warm and a content smile was resting on her face by the time the transformation was done. As she looked over herself, she noticed the design was much more pleasant than the spots she was used to. Maybe if she ever got to be Ladybug again, she would add more black in the design? Just to break it up a bit. She also noticed where a yo-yo would normally be was instead a jump rope, resting on her waist and undid a bit to act as a tail.

"You ready?" Viperion asked, holding a hand out to her.

"As I'll ever be." She feigned being nervous, taking hold of the green clad teen's hand.

"You're going to be great."

Her heart fluttered at his statement, that he was so sure of her abilities made a blush rise to her cheeks. If she didn't know who he was under the mask, would her reaction to his words still be the same? Either way now was not the time to be thinking about that as they both took off into the night, jumping on the rooftops together, shy smiles sent back and forth. Sure Mulmouse was no Ladybug, but it was still fun. This night was sure to be one to remember, especially considering how shocked the cat turned bug was at her capabilities. Hell yeah, this was exactly where she belonged, too bad it couldn't go back to the way it used to be.


	11. Amnesia

"Felix?" A sweet voice called out through the fog, giving him something else to focus on other than the _incredibly_ unbearable pain of his head throbbing.

Wait? Why was his head throbbing? Surely he'd remember having hurt it, right? Oh so very slowly he brought his hand up to rest on his forehead, feeling as if his arm weighed a thousand pounds. There was an excited gasp as Felix forced his eyes open. The light was harsh and took some getting used to, but after a few blinks his eyes were able to adjust as a blurry black blob came into focus. The blob turned into a pig tailed girl, her eyes fully of worry, one of her hands brought up to her mouth in concern as her other hand gave his a squeeze.

"Felix?" She questioned, unsure of if what she was seeing was true, "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts," He groaned out as he sat himself up on the bed. "But other than that I'm fine."

Relief seemed to flow through the girl as all the tension left her shoulder's, "Thank goodness, I'll get one of the nurses in here so they can give you some medicine and check you out."

He simply nodded and watched as she left the room, still unsure of where he was. The room was very plain, nothing really in it aside from a TV, sink, and bathroom. There was a window to his left showing him a very dreary world, grey storm clouds rolling in. Suddenly his attention was grabbed by the sound of the door clicking open, the girl from earlier came back with a nurse in tow.

"Hi Felix, my name's Elise and I'm just going to do a routine exam real quick, if you don't mind?"

"Okay."

She had him follow her finger with his eyes, then had him stand on one leg to test his balance, and even had him walk in a straight line. When the nurse seemed satisfied with the results, she told him that she just had a few questions to ask and then they'd be done. Relieved that this would soon be over, Felix found himself agreeing. He couldn't very well say no, could he?

"So your friend here told me you had a headache," She started and Felix couldn't help but fidget with the blanket between his hands, "Does it feel more like a mild pressure or is it an intense pulsing?"

"Pulsing."

"Okay, and do you have blurred or double vision?"

It took him a second to process Nurse Elise's question, but when he did all he said was, "No."

"Are you dizzy? Or have you experienced any nausea?"

Once more that was a "No." and the questions progressed more or less in the same fashion except for when she got to the memory questions.

"Do you remember what happened to you before you woke up here?"

Try as he might he couldn't, so he told the nurse as much and watched as she wrote something down on the clipboard. Suddenly he attention was caught by the nervous shifting of the black haired girl whose name he still didn't know.

"Felix?" Elise called out to him, breaking him from his stupor. "Do you know how old you are?"

He shook his head and once more his attention was caught by the worried girl sitting next to him. The nurse asked him a few more questions, but it only made him feel worse that he couldn't answer in the way it seemed like the girl wanted him to. Her bluebell eyes pierced his soul and he wanted nothing more than to even just remember her name, but all he could do right now was give her hand a comforting squeeze while she smiled in a way that didn't reach her eyes. The tension in her shoulders was back now and Felix really wanted the nurse to tell him how to get his memories back now.

"Felix I'm going to give you some medicine to help with your headache, and then I'll let you get some rest. If you want, Marinette, you can try to help Felix regain some of his memories. Though there's no guarantee that he'll ever fully recover."

"Okay," The girl, Marinette (such a beautiful name), replied.

The nurse then pulled Marinette aside and told the younger girl what she could do to help Felix. Saying he should avoid things like caffeine and sports for the next few days, something about a mild concussion. After that things seemed to go by fast when Elise allowed him to be discharged. Somehow, without Felix even realizing it, they were at a park.

"There's my house," Marinette pointed to a bakery across the street, then pointed in the other direction, "And there's our school. Luckily we had today off due to the Akuma, it might've been a little weird to go back to school like this."

"Akuma?" Felix questioned, causing Marinette to stop from awkwardly laughing at the mention of Akuma's.

"Oh, they're, um," She fumbled for the right word. "Well they're the victims of a mad man named Hawkmoth who uses butterfly's to akumatize... er possess them."

"He uses butterfly's to possess people?" His tone was only slightly incredulous.

"Yes, they're his tools that link him to his victims. Hawkmoth feeds off his victims negative emotions, using an object that's important to them he connects the butterfly to it and then controls the via that. It's up to the heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir to save Paris from Hawkmoth."

"Oh... okay," Felix replied pretending to follow what she was saying. He was half tempted to believe she was crazy, but he didn't know much about anything right now considering the whole amnesia thing.

She continued to tell him more about school and about how he did ballet, a feeble attempt to help him recall the past, though it was still nice all the same. The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully for the two teens as Marinette took the liberty of showing Felix around. He might not remember her, but he was excited to create some new memories with her.


	12. Marinette's my Girlfriend!

Honestly, this day could not get any worse, except the universe must be laughing at some joke she's not in on considering how it just. _Kept. Getting. Worse. _Was this perhaps a _little_ bit her own fault? Maybe. However the blame rested almost entirely on her partner's, Chat Noir's, shoulders. Of course it just so happened to be during their night patrol, and Marinette really needed to get home and sleep if she even wanted a sliver of a chance of getting to school on time.

"Come on M'Lady, just one date," The cat hero pleaded as they leapt from roof to roof, "If you still don't like me after that, I'll give up on you for good."

Needless to say her tolerance was very low tonight with the sharp look she gave him.

"Cat's honor!" He swore, bringing one of his hands up by his head in some form of salute she didn't recognize.

"For the last time Chat Noir, no." Ladybug told him firmly, "I already have someone my heart belongs to."

"I know, but is there really no room in your heart for me too?"

They stopped on a random rooftop as the spotted hero turned to face her partner, trying not to feel guilty at the brokenhearted look he was giving. What little guilt she did feel at rejecting him though was quickly overpowered by her anger, why did they have to keep having this conversation? Could he seriously not get it through his skull?

"No," Ladybug told him with the sigh of someone so done with other people's bullshit, "No Chat, there isn't. The only feelings I have for you are strictly platonic. Besides, I'm already seeing somebody else, so if you could please stop asking me on dates I'd really appreciate it." There, that ought to solve the problem.

"What?" Chat was incredulous, "No you're not." He was firm in his stance and Ladybug was starting to get over this real fast.

"What do you mean no I'm not? You cant just say something and expect it to be true Chat!"

"You've never brought him up before!"

"I've clearly told you that I have someone in my heart multiple times! Besides we have to keep our identities secret, remember?"

"So? I've told you multiple times you're the only lady for me, and we're not dating!"

"Ugh!" She was so frustrated with him! "That's because you refuse to see the truth even when it's right in front of your eyes!"

"So what is the truth then? Are you really dating someone, or do you hate the idea of being with me so much you had to make up having a boyfriend?"

"Oh my _god_ Chat! Not everything's about you! But fine! You want the truth? Here it is! First of all if you're going to accuse me of making up anything at least get my preference right! Second of all, yes I am dating someone, and she cares more about my feelings than you claim to!"

"What?" Chat's voice was small now and the fight in him seems to have left, allowing Ladybug sometime to breathe before she spoke once more.

"You heard me."

"What's her name?" His question caught her off guard, but he looked seriously ashamed of himself.

"Marinette." Ladybug replied in a cool tone, a wave of spite running through her as she told him, as she swung herself off the roof and towards her home.

* * *

Unfortunately Marinette's phone didn't charge last night, thus causing the girl to run late once more for school. She hadn't been able to get much sleep either, that fight with Chat had really taken a lot out of her. For whatever reason as she was running out the door her parents pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, saying that they's always accept her no matter what.

"Um, okay," The poor girl was considerably confused as to what they were talking about, "I've got to get to school, but we can talk later?"

"Yes, yes, of course dear," Her father readily replied.

"We'll be right here waiting for you when you're ready." Her mother added as Marinette slipped out the front door.

Now she had a feeling something was up when random people on the street and in the halls kept giving her looks, though she reasoned that it was probably all in her head. As she raced to her locker, she quickly pulled out all the items she would need for her first class. Shutting it only revealed a sheepish Adrien that nearly scared the daylights out of her!

"A- A- Adrien!" She exclaimed in shock, "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say congrats!" He replied cheerily, though there was something slightly off about his tone.

"Con... grats?" She questioned, tilting her head in confusion as she took note of his tense form.

"Yeah, not everybody get's the chance to date a superhero! What's it like?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." And she really didn't, but could you blame her, she's running on only three hours of sleep here!

"It's okay, you can tell me!" Wow he was being really cheerful today. "Your secret's safe with me!"

"Secret?" Was followed shortly after by a gasp of realization, "Who told you?"

"Er... well it's all over the LadyBlog right now."

A jolt of fear ran through Marinette's system, he knew she was Ladybug! She was doomed! Now Hawkmoth would be able to specifically target her family to use against her! Desperately Marinette attempted to turn on her phone despite knowing that the battery is dead. How could Alya out her like this? Okay, she just needed to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Now that she's calmed down, she was finally able to process what exactly Adrien just said. Didn't he say something about 'dating' a super hero? Oh... oh no.

"It's okay Marinette!" Adrien comforted, "I'm sure everyone in our class will be really accepting. And everyone who's not doesn't matter."

It was then that the bell rang and Adrien excused himself, telling Marinette that he could always help her out with the paparazzi if she ever needed tips. As soon as he was out of sight, the pig tailed girl fell to her knees. No wonder her parents were going on about 'accepting' her earlier, she thought maybe her maman was pregnant again, but this was so much worse. Yes, she was glad to have such open minded parents, but that wasn't the problem here!

Now that the whole of Paris thought Ladybug was dating Marinette, that just made her a target for Hawkmoth which would make it so much harder to sneak away from an Akuma to transform. Secondly, apparently paparazzi would now be an issue, again making it harder for her to transform. And finally, the biggest problem of all, _Adrien_ thought she was dating Ladybug! Argh! Now she'd never have a chance to confess her true feelings to him.

She _really_ is unlucky for someone with the power of luck, huh?


	13. Untold Side Effects Part 2

Adrien was freaking out and had no idea what was going on, none of the anime's he watched told him that it was _painful_ having a tail! And Plagg was no where to be found, so the blond wasn't able to talk to the creature about it. The cat kwami must've fled sometime in the night because no matter how much cheese the hero tried to bribe the small god with, the being refused to show his face.

"Adrien? Are you getting ready?" A feminine voice called through his door.

"Yes Nathalie, I'll be right out."

Oh god if he had known this was going to happen the night before, Adrien would've planned accordingly and woke up early so as to avoid this exact circumstance. Of course you couldn't very well change the past, but he was going to throttle Plagg as soon as he got his hands on the little shit. His thoughts were cut short however when the boy felt a sharp pain in, no on his head. He clutched his head in his hands as he managed to silence the scream threatening to break through, briefly registering the feeling of fur underneath his hands where hair should be.

As the pain quieted to a dull ache, Adrien was able to find the courage within him to look in his mirror.

"No... no, no, no, no, no." This couldn't be happening.

A tail was one thing, but ears! This was too much, he didn't know if he could handle anything else changing at the moment, though he clearly didn't have a choice in the matter.

_"There are some... adverse side effects to being the cat for extended periods of time."_ The warning played over and over again in his head and Adrien really wished he'd listened to the kwami all those months ago, the one time Plagg actually tries to tell him something and of course he completely ignored the floating creature!

"Am I going to be like this forever?" The teen wondered aloud, shocked as he realized his ears and tail reacted with his emotions, though his worry outweighed his temporary shock, "How am I supposed to hide these!"

"Adrien?" Nathalie called, outside his bathroom door.

"Just a couple more minutes please!" He called back, quickly getting dressed and forming an escape plan.

It would be hard to sneak out without his powers as Chat Noir, but that wasn't his main concern right now. Thankfully Adrien managed to find some pieces in his wardrobe that wouldn't make him instantly recognizable as a Agreste. To be fair he only ever wore black as Chat Noir, the shade stood out amid the array of colors surrounding it. Though his father would never let the teen out of the house in a baggy jacket, his father had very little control over his actions at the moment. The blond was also able to find an old mask he'd used as a Halloween costume once, though it wasn't as popular a tradition as it was in America, it had still been fun to go out with his newfound friends.

Smiling in fondness at the memory, Adrien attempted to slip the black mask over his face, trying to loop it around where his human ears used to be. Crap! Thankfully he had a bandanna he could just as easily wrap around his head, but the mask would've allowed him to blend into the crowd easier, hopefully people wouldn't stare at him too much in this get up. Sighing, Adrien resigned himself to his fate and secured the bandanna around his head as best he could without ears to hold it up. Finally finished with that, he pulled the hood up over his ears and made sure to grab a pair of sunglasses.

"Adrien, you're going to be late if you don't hurry up."

"I'm almost done I promise!"

Hastily Adrien packed his back pack full of items he might need on his 'adventure', though it mostly resembled an overnight bag with more stinky cheese. As soon as he finished, he placed a chair underneath the handle of the door. It wouldn't last long, but it would give him a head start. With one last look around his room, Adrien hopped out his window, his legs stinging from the impact.

He ran as far as he could from the mansion, taking off towards Nino's house. What would he think if he saw Adrien like this? More importantly, was Ladybug going through similar changes? Hopefully not, but he had no way of asking her right now. His eyes stung, though not with tears, but the teen tried not to think too hard about the plausible reason. If she was going through the same thing, than he really hoped it wasn't too painful, or as frequent as his changes seemed to be happening.

A terrifying scream broke the green eyed teen from his thoughts, and though he wanted nothing more than to run in the opposite direction, something was pulling him toward the source of the cry. His feet hit the pavement faster and faster even after the sound died out, and he found himself seeing his.. Chinese tutor? Carrying a girl into a building, though Adrien was only able to see the back of her head, he knew who it was instantly.

A wave of nausea ran through him as the teen forced himself to take even breaths, swallowing the bile in his mouth. This wasn't how he was supposed to find out. It was supposed to be after they defeated Hawkmoth, or when she finally felt comfortable telling him. No, it wasn't supposed to be like this. Turning away from the scene and the overwhelming smell of blood, Adrien ran as far away as his legs would take him, hiding out in the back of a secluded alleyway.

Hands on his knees, the cat hero was barely able to remove the bandanna before he heaved onto the sidewalk. There were too many things happening today, too many things to process. So, so many things. Like the pain in his hands and feet, the tears biting past his eyes, and all the sounds! So many sounds! Why couldn't everyone in Paris just be quiet for _two_ seconds?

Slowly, Adrien was able to stabilize his breathing and focus on clearing his head. So he wasn't the only one going through this metamorphoses, but that barely made it better. On the one hand, he was glad somebody else would get what he was going through, on the other hand he never wanted to hear his lady scream like that. He shuddered at the memory of the sound, it left him frightened, for her or for him he didn't quite know yet.

Forget about going to Nino's place, Adrien had a newfound resolve within him as he scaled the walls to get onto the roof. Luckily he didn't run too far away from his tutor's building, so the cat hero was able to find a nice spot to rest while he waited for his lady to leave. They had so much to talk about after all.


	14. Partners Through Thick and Thin

Marinette always thought Chat Noir would be there when no one else was, ready to help his Ladybug through any situation. Though it quickly became clear that this was not the case. He was incredibly stubborn, a trait she once admired in him, and often times acted like a spoiled child when he didn't get his way. The fact that he had the audacity to walk away from a fight over such a petty reason caused the black-haired girl to reconsider, though that was only one thing compared to so many others she didn't have the heart to think about right now.

Though she really didn't want to do this, she knew it had to be done. He'd proven he just couldn't handle the responsibility of being a hero, thinking it all a game instead of a race to beat Hawkmoth before he beats them. Marinette honestly had to thank her lucky stars though that Hawkmoth wasn't a smarter villain, otherwise he would be able to spin the narrative in dangerous ways if he kept making them fight babies. Though this wasn't about Hawkmoth right now, this was about her partner, the person meant to be her ally through it all.

The yin to her yang, the only other person who could really understand her, just left her. He abandoned her when she needed him most, when he knew she couldn't win without him. They were so close to finding out who Hawkmoth was, yet for some reason Chat Noir was acting weirder with each passing day. He no longer flirted with her, which was nice, but he also hardly ever even spoke to her during and after Akuma battles. He'd even been skipping out on patrols lately! While she understood that he was busy sometimes, so was she, but it seemed like a lie more than nothing else. Why couldn't he just trust her?

It was then that she realized some crucial information when she was talking to Fu one day after training.

"Does Hawkmoth have the ability to possess himself?"

Though Fu didn't know for sure if the butterfly villain could, Marinette felt like she'd just had a breakthrough. How could they just excuse Gabriel Agreste so easily like that? The book he owned once belonged to the guardians, his wife disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and his signature design was butterflies! After Emillie vanished, so did Gabriel. Except Marinette knew where he was, considering the man never left his house. Sure, he could just be a grief stricken man, but it all just seemed too suspicious for her to ignore. When she expressed her thoughts to her partner, she had expected excitement... not anger.

"What do you mean we've already ruled him out? Didn't you just hear what I said about him being able to akumatize himself?!" Honestly the spotted hero was incredulous with her partner.

"So?! If that were the case than we'd need to look into other cases of akuma victims not just him!" Chat Noir pointed out.

"The other victims are mostly teenagers and babies! Besides, the few adults that have been possessed don't have the same motive as he does!"

"Why can't you just let this Gabriel Agreste theory go?!"

"Why do you want me to?! Why can't you just trust me on this?!"

"Why don't _you_ trust _me_ on this?" He asked, his sudden shift in tone taking the other teen by surprise. He didn't wait to hear her answer though as he left her on the roof.

Since then things had only been getting steadily more tense between them, and nothing Marinette did seemed to make it better. And Chat was starting to get scarier, being more violent with the akuma victims. He was angry and she couldn't figure out why. It wasn't her, but then again, how could the girl be so sure of that?

Soon enough, the cat hero stopped showing up to patrols and akuma battles entirely. Ladybug had to rely on other heroes more and more, and Fu made her worry about Chat Noir being "compromised". Maybe he had to go out of town and it was so sudden he couldn't even tell her he left.

Weeks turned into months without Chat Noir by her side and she'd never felt more helpless. Sure, she had a plethora of other heroes to choose from to help her out, but it wasn't the same without her partner by her side. And now she didn't just have Chat to worry about, Adrien had vanished mysteriously off the face of the map too. Miss Bustier said that he went back to homeschooling, but Marinette just couldn't believe it. Though she couldn't get into the mansion as neither Marinette nor Ladybug to check. His blinds were perpetually shut and there never seemed to be any light radiating from that cold mansion.

And now here she was, attempting to sneak into Hawkmoth's base. She'd finally found it after years of searching, no longer the happy-go-lucky 14 year old she once was. Oh how so much could change over the span of four years. With Vipereon by her side, Marinette felt brave. Carapace was on her other side with Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, and Ryuko behind them. They'd run over this plan over a hundred times, but she would never feel truly ready unless Chat was by her side. Though this wasn't the time to be remembering such silly things, he was supposed to be here too.

It wasn't until they ambushed Hawkmoth did she realize that Chat was here, he was just on the wrong side of the battle. A plethora of emotions ran through the spotted hero, but she settled on anger as she fought her former partner. So many things made sense, especially as Marinette quickly realized the only reason why he would partner up with Hawkmoth. Oh he was going to have so much explaining to do after she took down Hawkmoth and confiscated _both _of their miraculouses.


	15. AuroNette - Bookshop AU

**Aurore works at a bookshop that Marinette frequents and the blonde has a massive crush on the darker haired woman, not really believing she has a chance with her crush (definitely a rarepare but I thought they would be cute together). Sort and Sweet.**

* * *

Aurore was seriously starting to think the universe was playing games with her, especially considering how often a rather attractive ebony haired woman showed up at her job. Unfortunately the blonde didn't know the bane of her existence's name yet, and had found no way to ask for it casually. Of course this caused Aurore's best friend and coworker, Mireille, to tease her whenever the noirette stepped into the store.

"What happened to the confident and charming woman I've come to know and love?" Mireille prodded upon catching the blonde once again staring at their new favorite customer.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about." Aurore rebutted, attempting to make it seem as if she was only gazing about the shop. Her friend was clearly unimpressed her actions.

"Uh huh, and I was born yesterday."

"Congrats." The blonde dryly replied before changing the subject, "Now if you don't mind, I'm just going to put these books away."

"This isn't over!"

Though returning the books to their original spots was mostly an excuse to get away from the previous conversation, Aurore tried to subtly use it as an excuse to get closer to the object of her affections. While Mireille wasn't wrong in wondering what happened to her usually self-assured demeanor, the blonde just didn't know how to explain it to her lifelong friend. If Aurore's crush was a boy, she normally wouldn't have any trouble going up and asking for his number. But this wasn't a boy, this was a girl. And despite the world steadily being more and more progressive about people and their sexualities, it didn't change the fact that it was harder for people of the same sex to just up and date each other. She knew she was living in a heteronormative world, and that just made things so much harder.

It probably would've helped it the two woman had spoken more than a few sentences here and there when the azure eyed woman was checking out her books. So far they had all been mostly different types of craft and fashion books, which told the blonde absolutely nothing about the other woman's sexuality! Well... not _absolutely _nothing... but it wasn't enough to go on. Ugh, it was just all so frustrating sometimes! It was especially frustrating that her crush always chose to sit beneath the window that allowed to sun to rest on her just right, creating a sort of halo effect around the dark haired woman, making her look like an ethereal being.

Shaking those thoughts out of her head, Aurore quickly placed the remaining books in her hands away, turned around, and ran right into the object of her affections. They both fell rather spectacularly onto the floor, and Aurore didn't know whether to thank or curse the universe for allowing her to fall on top of the other woman. She slowly lifted herself up, her own arctic blue eyes locking with the other woman's azure colored ones, and time seemed to stop as they gazed at each other. Then suddenly time came rushing back as the blonde remembered where she was, a brilliant flush coming up to rest on her cheeks as she hurried upright and helped the other woman to her feet.

"I'm really sorry about that ma'am," Aurore hastily apologized, "I should've been watching where I was going."

"No worries," The woman's melodic voice spoke sincerely, "I'm a huge klutz. I've got two left feet regardless of if I'm on the dance floor or not."

"Really?" A smile came to rest on Aurore's features as some confidence and butterflies seemed to be bubbling to the surface, "I'd like to see that sometime."

The noirette seemed stunned for a moment and Aurore was afraid she's said the wrong thing. "You would, huh? I'd say it's a date but I don't think we've been properly introduced yet."

"I'm Aurore." She eagerly supplied with what she knew was a goofy smile on her face, sticking out her hand to shake, and definitely didn't take notice of how soft the other woman's hand was.

"Such a lovely name for a lovely lady, I'm Marinette."

"Thank you, though I must say your name is almost as alluring as you are."

"What a flirt, you must say that to all the women." Marinette's voice was teasing and Aurore couldn't keep the glee off her own face at the fact that the woman she's been crushing hard on was _flirting_ with her!

"Only the one's I literally run into."

"So," Marinette spoke slyly, peeking up at Aurore from behind her bangs, "About that date?"


	16. Magic

Magic was not a very common trait in the modern world, thanks to the witch hunt that took place during the 18th century that had significantly depleted their numbers, and very few people even realized they actually had powers. Many people usually just went on with their lives and ignored things they couldn't explain. Marinette was not one of these people, though her parents stressed the importance of not showing off her powers in public. As much as they supported her in all her endeavors, they didn't want harm to befall her should the wrong people find out what she was.

Thankfully, her parents also possessed magical qualities, and were able to help train her in controlling her powers. Marinette had first started showing signs at the young age of six, squealing in glee when her drawing came to life, and eagerly showed off this to Sabine and Tom. Since then they focused on the dangerous influence the girl's emotions could hold over her powers, and helped in the process of learning to control ones emotions. Of course they didn't want their daughter to shut off her emotions, they just wanted her to understand that if she felt something strong enough her powers would respond to it if she wasn't properly taught.

Although, whether for good or bad, there came a point when not even Sabine and Tom Dupain-Cheng could no longer do any more to aid in their daughter's training. Marinette did have exceptionally well control over her powers, and was a quick learner, though she was much stronger than either of her parents by the time she reached 13. To say they were proud would be an understatement in comparison to what they felt for their daughter. And they knew she would be safe if anything ever happened thanks to Sabine cultivating her daughters natural athletic ability in many different forms of self defense.

Felix thought that Marinette was an almost boring and ordinary person when he first met her at 16. She seemed like someone who could easily be overlooked, if you weren't looking. As far as he knew, she was just an aspiring fashion designer that mostly kept to herself. Though was Felix looking for _something_, he just didn't quite know yet what it was. Then it became considerably harder to ignore her as she seemed breathed life in to every single room she stepped into, and the air around her would seem to almost vibrate with anticipation when she got inspired. Most people seemed not to notice this though, and the blond boy briefly entertained the idea that he was going crazy.

To be fair, he had mostly just filed the certified idea away for a later date, but after what he just experienced he wasn't quite sure how far off the thought had been. Only two years since they first met, when his only friend and confidant turned 18, saw a _very_ plastered Marinette practically hanging off of the stoic blond. He should've known what a lightweight she would be, considering how small she was, though he thought she would've at least had a drink before she was legally able to. Turns out he was wrong as she was every bit the goody two shoes she presented herself to be. If he had known before hand, he wouldn't have taken her out to a bar, but thankfully he was able to hold his liquor.

Though an inebriated Marinette proved to be quite the problem as he took her back to his own apartment, not wanting to face her parents. He quickly found the person he had quietly pining for a couple years now was _very _clingy when intoxicated, and found himself simultaneously in heaven and hell. She was also somehow more emotional than she was sober, which surprised him. Unfortunately that wasn't the only thing that surprised him that night as he dropped his near unconscious friend on the bed while he went to get her some water. She was mumbling something when he came back in and suddenly a bright pink light enveloped the room. Floating right in front of his face was some weird ladybug type thing he couldn't identify and they simply stared at each other for a moment before the creature started to talk... and Felix promptly dropped the glass on the ground.

"Oh I didn't mean to scare you!" The thing hastily apologized while Felix idly wondered if he finally lost it, "I'm just really excited to finally meet you! Marinette's told me so much about how you helped her and everything, though she hadn't called on me for quite some time so to be honest I'm as surprised as you are to be here. I'm Tikki by the way!"

Tikki, as the floating bug like creature called itself (herself?), talked a mile a minute, easily overwhelming the poor boy with information. He couldn't really process any of it though as he was still stuck on how she got here in the first place. The lanky 19 year old looked at his friend lying on the bed and wondered how much he really knew about her, tuning out Tikki's rambling. The creature said she was excited to finally meet him and that Marinette spoke of him, but perhaps this was all a dream? Maybe he really had had too much to drink back at the bar and he just didn't remember going to bed...

Looking at the glass splattered on the floor, he decided that there was a very slim possibility that this was real, and Marinette had conjured life out of thin air while sloshed and half asleep. His friend, whom he thought to be one of the most normal people around, just used magic. In any other situation he would completely dismiss the notion, but this didn't feel like a dream, despite the absurdity of it all. Kneeling down, Felix cleaned up the glass, not caring if he got pieces stuck in his hand. Tikki had stopped speaking to him upon realizing he was in shock, and the logic based man simply went through the motions of tidying up the mess he made. He returned with another glass for the girl on his bed once more, some aspirin, and set them both on the side table. He took off his friends shoes threw the covers over her. Grabbing a blanket and pillow for himself to use while on the couch, Felix decided Marinette would have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow morning.


End file.
